Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
Preparation
Arrange racks in center of oven and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 6-by-2-inch round baking pans. Line with parchment; butter; dust with flour.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Add sugar; beat well. Reduce speed to medium; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Stir in zest.
Pour batter into pans; bake, rotating halfway through, until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 15 minutes. Remove; let cool completely right side up on rack.
